Lace,Tangles and Baddies Oh My!
by Down n Dirty
Summary: Cloud is captured in Halloween Town. Leon is sent to rescue him.


_**Written because I wanted to and because I CAN. If this goes over well, expect more of these little one shots...they are quite fun.**_

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><p><em><strong>Lace,Tangles and Baddies. Oh My!<br>**_

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><p>Halloween Town was in utter chaos.<p>

The heartless had mounted to a level of near blackness, enveloping the ground in a dark, oozing liquid. It was hard to tell were one of the creatures ended and another began. The muted colors of the world made it nearly impossible to make out where or what anything was. Even the buildings appeared to be nothing but mountains of squirming heartless.

So far the one constantly visible thing was the giant skeleton of a man known as Jack Skellington. His stark, white figure was a blinding contrast against the diluted surroundings, making him stand out like a sore thumb.

Which was not nearly as comforting as it should have been.

Cloud knew this mission was a bad idea, had told his fellow comrades from the start. He must have been losing his touch as a leader, for nobody in the Restoration Committee had seemed to agree with him. They threw his warning to the wind, blamed it on nerves, then had the audacity to treat _him_ like he was the one being irrational.

Well they knew better_ now,_ didn't they?

He had to wait for backup. This was out of control and there was only so much one could do with a mere parasol for defense. He refused to perish in such a way simply because the world had been cruel enough to take away his buster sword.

Not to mention all the other unspeakable changes.

Jack was trying his best but frankly, it just wasn't good enough. Where one patch was destroyed another would instantly reappear. It was a game of cat and mouse and they were losing.

Horribly.

He heard the distinct bellow of the self proclaimed "Pumpkin King" somewhere to his left.

"Behind you _mademoiselle_."

Thanks to quick reflexes and skills, Cloud was able to both evade and strike at the lizard looking creature behind him. It let out a squeal before evaporating back into the ground.

Dammit, that was too close.

He wasn't so lucky with the next one who managed to grab at his front, ripping away a layer of lace. Not that they're weren't plenty more layers left of the horribly, itchy stuff but Cloud frowned anyway. He killed that one on principal alone.

Jack was getting farther and farther away and Cloud was growing nervous. He was running out of steam and _damn_ he really needed a sword or at least a real weapon of some kind. He gave one last thrash before the frilly, decorative object finally gave out.

Now he was officially screwed.

Another void had already started and was growing steadily larger at his feet, it would soon be teeming with dozens more heartless. He was now unarmed and there was no way he was going to be able to fight them off barehanded. He had no other choice.

He ran.

His blond locks flew distractedly with each step. He was fast losing his focus on were he was going and tried several times to remove the offending curls from his view. They fell back almost immediately. He swore he would never again complain when this was all over and he had his _real_ hair back. In reality he just might be inclined to chop it all off.

Another swarm had followed and was gaining on him fast. He ducked into an alleyway that led to what he assumed was a graveyard. The tombstones were the giveaway and he threw himself behind the nearest one, hoping to catch a breath or two as the mindless drones searched for him.

It seemed to work as the group sniffed around for a while before realizing their prey must have run off in another direction. They split up one heading north and the other south. He waited til they were all gone before heaving a sigh of relief.

"Are you in trouble?"

He nearly jumped from out his skin. This place was creepy enough without having to have somebody actually creep up on him.

He looked up and caught a knot in his throat.

The thing that peered down at him was obviously a female, but she appeared more doll like than human. Her vacant stare and emotionless smile where permanently plastered in a chilling look of glee. She toyed absently with the ends of her patchwork dress.

"Um, yeah." he answered.

_Did you not see the hordes of monsters around here?_

"I guess I kind of am."

"Oh dear," she said, moving her hands to clutch at them nervously.

"You know," he peered at her, "You should probably get out of here it really isn't safe."

_"She's not the one you should be worrying about."_

Cloud froze.

The chilling voice was familiar, too familiar.

He almost believed it had come from his own paranoia but a sinking feeling told him otherwise. He wasn't even able to blink before his world was enveloped in darkness, a sharp pain blossoming in the back of his head.

"Oh my!" came a cry from the woman, doll, thing.

Which was the last conscious thing he heard.

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><p>Leon wasn't happy. He wasn't quite pissed but way past annoyed.<p>

This was supposed to be a quick get in, fight some heartless, save the world, then get out.

Unfortunately, it didn't appear it was going to be that easy.

Leon hadn't been expecting the heartless to be so many. He took out a great deal of them with a few blasts of magic and some well placed attacks courtesy of his gunblade.

It seemed they'd made a mistake in letting Cloud come here alone.

He was surprised to find himself dressed in much more fur than usual. He'd forgotten that this was one of those adaptable worlds. It was always a bit disorienting to end up looking like whatever the specific world wanted you to, never knowing what you'd end up dressed as or become. Though all in all he hadn't come out too bad.

But he didn't have time to dwell on that now. He needed to find Cloud.

"Excuse me good sir."

Leon tuned and was shocked to see a walking skeleton dressed in a pinstripe suit gliding towards him. The thing was monstrously tall with a matching gait.

He unconsciously crossed him arms in what he would never admit was a defensive stance.

"I was wondering if you had perchance seen a lovely maiden come this way?"

The brunette man raised a brow. "No can't say I have."

"Oh dear this is truly bad tidings. I do hope she hasn't been hurt. I must find her."

Leon was about to bid farewell and continued his search for Cloud on his own. Then he realized that asking this man-skeleton would probably be much more helpful. He knew the land and would probably take notice of any newcomers, including Cloud.

"Actually, I'm looking for someone myself. A man, short with blond hair and a large sword. A human like me. I was wondering if you've seen him."

"I'm afraid not."

Leon couldn't believe he was suggesting this. "Perhaps if we work together, we'll both find who we're looking for."

This piqued a raise in the skull to simulate interest, "Intriguing. I'll do it! Good sir let me accompany you till you find your friend and I my missing mademoiselle."

"Leon." He didn't think he could stand being called good sir every time they spoke. "My name is Leon."

"Ah, but of course. Jack Skellington at your service." He bowed low.

Left with little choice, Leon found himself following after the walking giant. As much as he disliked relying on strangers he had to find Cloud.

He hoped he was still in one piece.

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><p>Cloud's head was throbbing.<p>

_What happened?_

He opened a bleary eye and waited for the world to focus. His vision started to clear but the scene didn't look any better. He put a hand to the back of his skull were a lump was forming.

His hands were free but he was in a cage of sorts. The long jagged bars didn't quite reach the ceiling but were still far too high to climb, especially in heels.

He was a prisoner.

But to who exactly and better yet _why_?

"Ah I see my little puddin cake is awake."

Cloud made a face._ Puddin Cake?_

A large sack of..._something_ danced in front of the bars. It's movements were greatly restricted, being that it was a.. well a _sack_ but it still felt like it was taunting him.

"What do you want?" Cloud asked, sounding more tired than anything.

He had learned through the years it was better to get negotiations out of the way. And honestly, what could a sack possibly need that was so important?

"Nothing much little lady, just your heart."

_Oh..._

Well now, that _was_ important._  
><em>

"Sorry bub, that's off limits."

It smiled a stitched smile of string as several chuckles escaped from its makeshift mouth.

"You got spunk I like that."

He was hardly flattered. In fact, the more he remembered about his ambush, the more confused he became. He knew the voice of his attacker. There was no mistake about it, he would recognize the sound of _him _anywhere.

He shook his head, maybe he was losing his mind. Running from his _supposed_ light for so long must have damaged him to the point of delusion causing the hearing of_ his_ voice when _he_ clearly wasn't here.

It wouldn't be the first time.

"Oh I'm afraid you aint got no choice there, darlin."

Cloud gulped, he was afraid of that.

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><p>Jack Skellington could hold his own in fighting the heartless.<p>

Leon wasn't impressed so much as he was relieved.

They'd been searching for a while and had yet to find any sign of Cloud or the lost girl. Leon was getting just a slight bit antsy.

The barred door to a cemetery creaked an ear piercing squeal as Jack pushed it open. He barreled through the grounds, stomping on the graves like it was nothing. Leon was a bit more cautious, he didn't like the idea of disturbing the dead.

There was a small, sheet like ghost in the form of a dog floating over one of the graves. More strange though was the woman next to it.

Jack called to her in recognition, "Sally."

She turned and Leon held a shudder at her odd appearance. She looked like she'd been crying.

"Oh Jack," she exclaimed rushing to him.

Jack held her at arms length. "Whatever is the matter?"

"Oh," she sniffed, "I've done something terrible."

"You darling Sally. Never." He scoffed.

She nodded in earnest, "I have, I let that poor girl get taken away. The tall man with the long hair told me he was doing the right thing, that she was really a bad person. But I...I don't think she was. I think she's in trouble."

'Where did he take her?" asked Leon, speaking for the first time.

She blinked watery eyes at him. "To Oogie Boogie's"

"That fiend," exclaimed Jack, hitting a bony hand into his fleshless palm.

Leon held his forehead in frustration. He had a feeling this was about to get a whole lot worse.

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><p>The sack was still talking.<p>

Aside from telling Cloud every detail of his grand, master plan the thing had kept up his tirade in a typical, villain fashion. The rant was boisterous, loud and seemed it was _never_ going to end.

Cloud had tuned out long ago but was secretly relieved that the bag hadn't attempted to steal his heart just yet.

If he held out long enough perhaps Jack or better yet one of his friends would find him.

He must have made a noise of impatience or old Sacky had finally noticed his look of boredom because the rambling stopped.

"Well enough of that, lets get a look at that pretty little heart, shall we?"

_Crap._

"Stop right there!"

Cloud sighed in relief.

His captor looked scandalized and turned to the intruder who'd dared to ruin his perfectly good, heart stealing, finale.

Jack had come through and he wasn't alone. Cloud squinted at the other person.

Was that a gunblade? Only one person he knew had that weapon. Leon looked a bit different but it was definitely him.

How come he still got to keep his sword and Cloud got...

Then Cloud remembered his current getup and wished that somebody (anybody really) else had come to his rescue. The stoic Leon was the last person he wanted to see him like this.

"Jack Skellington," the voice crooned_._ "Once again you are a pain in my rear." A crudely sewn arm motioned where a rear would be, to the distaste of all those present.

"Though I'm afraid I don't have time to deal with your shenanigans today."

"Oogie Boogie let her go this instant."

Cloud didn't know what was worse, being caught by a talking burlap sack or the fact that said sack was named Oogie Boogie.

Oogie Boogie laughed uproariously ,"Now why would I go and do a thing like that, hm? After all the effort I took to get her here."

"I'm warning you."

"No, Jack Skellington. I'm warning you."

It was the first time that his tone shifted to one of seriousness. Several heartless flew from the depths of Oogie Boogies outstretched arms.

Cloud could only watch as his two companions were attacked.

All the while Oogie Boogie cackled in the background.

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><p>This was beyond ridiculous<em>.<em>

Not only did this Oogie Boogie have some serious issues (stealing innocent girls for reasons Leon would rather not think about) but he was now throwing large, brightly colored die at them. The roulette wheel should have been a big tip off but he never imagined they'd be playing a life size game of life or death with it.

Jack was taking out most of the heartless well enough on his own, leaving Leon to deal with the giant gambling addict himself.

It smiled at his approach, "So you want to take on the Mac Daddy little lion, fine."

Leon wasn't much for speeches and didn't particularly care to hear one from something a foul as Oogie Boogie.

"Whatever," Leon mumbled before charging at him.

Either Oogie Boogie suffered from overconfidence or he assumed Leon was a lot weaker than he looked.

The confrontation was short lived and overall pretty disappointing. Two hits in and the thing was down like a literal sack of potatoes, squirming around as dozens of bugs spewed from the laceration Leon's gunblade had caused.

Leon stepped out of their way. It was revolting to say the least.

"Oh no! My beautiful babies, come back to me! Come back to daddy!"

The sack was quickly deflating. Any attempts to stuff his fleeing innards back in were thwarted.

"I'm melting, melting, melting..." his voice sounded like it was shrinking along with his girth.

And then it grew quiet. Nothing but the empty sack carcass was left. It all but disintegrated as the evil energy that had been powering it evaporated into the air.

The remaining heartless vanished with a pop while the moving die attempting to crush Jack fell over, now lifeless.

So, this had been the cause for the recent attacks on the world. Hopefully it would be enough to keep it from deteriorating too much, for now.

With a resounding _clack_ the bars holding the girl were lowered.

Instead of looking relieved or at the very least grateful, the blonde appeared agitated. She took a few uneven steps and didn't bothering moving her frazzled hair from out her eyes. It looked like she'd been through the ringer, what was left of her dress was almost near rags. Her gaze stayed glued to the floor obstructing her face from view.

Talk about ungrateful.

"Aw, I'm glad to see you are unharmed dear girl," Jack said with vigor, ascending to support her down.

She raised her head a fraction and pursed her lips as if to say something but nothing came. Her eyes avoided Leon.

Which was all good and well, he wasn't looking for a conversation. He just had to know if she'd happened to see his missing comrade.

Then inexplicably he noticed something as he got closer to her. Something was...off. He blinked and it hit him.

This _was_ his missing comrade.

"Cloud?"

The microscopically small flinch was all the affirmation Leon needed.

He couldn't stop the small, half smirk, "Nice dress."

The look he received was murderous.

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><p>Green eyes observed the scene in amusement.<p>

Watching that annoying bag of incompetence being slash to bits had been quite exhilarating. He was only put off he hadn't been able to do it himself.

But no, this was much more fun and best of all nobody was the wiser to his presence.

He smirked well not _everybody_, his puppet had seemed to sense him. The whispering he'd done in his ear had been enough to freeze the blond man to the spot.

It was just too easy.

As long as he kept his interest, the silver haired man would chase him. Even if that took til the end of time.

For now though he'd have to bade his time. He'd patiently wait for the next opportune moment to pull the strings in the other man's head.

He'd take one last look at his puppet's currently dainty appearance, burning the exhilarating image into his mind. How light the man had been in all his lace and curls.

"Til me meet again, Cloud."

He disappeared into the void leaving a trail of feathers behind.

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><p>The End<p> 


End file.
